GARDAI appear to be united ink opposition to a Bill proposing that the Minister of Justice would have the power to abolish their staff associations.
The Minister, Mrs Owen, yesterday met the groups involved in the dispute which fractured the Garda Representative Association (GRA) two years ago, to outline details of her proposed legislation.
Under the Garda Siochana Bill, the Minister would have the power to dissolve a garda staff association if it failed to meet certain conditions on its structure and conduct.
The Minister met members of the GRA leadership who indicated that while they agreed with the majority of the Bill's contents they were concerned at the notion that the Minister would have the power to dissolve the association.
The GRA is to discuss the Bill at a special conference in July, after the scheduled date for the Bill's discussion in the Dail.
Last night the Garda Federation, which represents an estimated 2,500 gardai who broke away from the GRA in 1994 over the PCW pay settlement for gardai, also indicated it was opposed to the Minister's Bill.
At an open meeting of federation members in Dublin, members reacted angrily to the Bill, which was described as "draconian" and "unconstitutional". The meeting was highly charged as members spoke of frustration and anger over lack of recognition and progress on pay demands.
About 400 gardai were addressed by several speakers urging that the federation simply ignore the legislation and continue seeking recognition as a separate staff association and renegotiation of the pay agreement accepted by the GRA in February, 1994.
A National Council member, Garda Stephen Sheerin, from Garda Headquarters, said the Bill "diminishes the constitutional rights of each and every one of us". He proposed that the federation ignore the legislation and seek recognition.
Another Dublin member, Garda Paedar Howley proposed that the federation "take no hand, act or part in this legislation". He added: "We are being codded by the Department (of Justice) and the Minister.
"We must stay outsider the QR and remain as we are, a strong, vibrant organisation. We won't crawl back into the GRA or any other organisation."
He called for a commission of inquiry into Garda pay and conditions.
The federation's National Council was also criticised from the floor. Garda Christy Murray, from west Dublin, said the unrest at the meeting reflected frustration at the National Council's earlier proposal to welcome Government legislation despite a groundswell of opposition among members. "When are you going to listen to the members on the ground. It is very obvious what they members want."
Garda Jerome Twomey, from Central Dublin, said the federation should concentrate on the "poor pay and tear up the legislation Garda Eddie O'Donovan pointed out that the Garda Siochana Act was, effectively, the gardai's contract of employment. He said that it was unlikely the federation's 2,500 members would be able to influence the Coalition Government to turn down any legislation.
A document, circulated at the meeting said the Minister's Bill was retrograde, draconian and likely to be unconstitutional" and came at time when gardai were seeking "greater freedom for its representative associations including affiliation to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions".
It added that the Garda Siochana Bill was "an unwarranted intrusion into an industrial relations dispute by the Minister and Government" and that it gave "unprecedented powers to the Minister to control all staff associations in the Garda Siochana including their rules, functions and appointments".